You may recognize Diaz from his recurring role on Showtime's hit series Weeds as the hardcore drug smuggler Guillermo or his breakout role in the 1995 indie hit Stonewall as the memorable storyteller drag queen Miranda. He can currently be seen on the NBC drama Mercy as gay nurse Angel Garcia.

Diaz shares with OUT the often harsh reality for openly gay actors in Hollywood and how his managers objected to him being so open about his sexual orientation in the beginning of his career, a decision that Diaz didn't think twice about.

“I never even thought about it,” he recalls. “I was like, I’m just going to fuckin’ act. And it’s never been an issue. I’ve worked constantly.”

“After I did Stonewall, I was doing all this gay press. My managers wanted to put a halt on me being out,” he says. “I just don’t have the patience for that shit. It seems like so much fuckin’ work to keep lying. I remember them saying, ‘We need to build up your body count.’ They wanted me to kill more people on film. I was like, ‘You guys would rather I kill more people on film than tell people I’m gay?’ Needless to say, I’m not with them anymore.”

This summer, Díaz returns to Weeds for his fourth season, and Mercy has been picked up through May. Angel, originally slated to appear in the background of seven episodes, has taken on a larger presence on the show, appearing in 12 of the first 13 episodes. The writers have even told Díaz they’re introducing a love interest for him. “I hope it’s not just talk,” he says.

While the network has been supportive of his character, the online message boards haven’t been as thrilled. “I’ve been getting some flack from people saying that Angel is kind of queeny, and I’m like, ‘Well, that’s just me,’ ” Díaz says. “I’m both. Sometimes I’m butch, and sometimes when I’m with my friends, I queen out. It’s all good. I’m just trying to keep it honest.”

Watch Diaz as drag queen LaMiranda in Stonewall in the clip below. And if you haven't seen this film then I highly suggest you track it down.